OVERWHELMED!!!

This update comes to you to let you know that I am completely OVERWHELMED...by God's gracious goodness!!  All partnership funds have been raised!  If that isn't God, I don't know what is!  Last fall, I prayed that God would be glorified through this entire process, including the partnership development.  I asked that He would bring in the necessary funds in a way that was very obviously His doing.  That our sovereign God used you to bring in over $20,000 in less than 3 months (in today's economy!) is an answer to prayer that has His fingerprints all over it! 

I'm rejoicing in His goodness that I also saw during my training in Harrisburg.  Thank you for your prayer support during that time.  It was an enriching experience both in information, as well as, in the people that I met.  We received information and instruction on a variety of topics including team building, financial preparation, spiritual preparation and even how to handle transition stress (formerly known as culture shock :-)

Almost 30 short term missionaries made up our training class; they are headed all over - South Africa, Turkey, Liberia, the Czech Republic, Chile, Togo, Bangladesh, India and more! Although strangers to each other on Monday morning, we developed a sweet bond by the end of training on Wednesday, one that comes through the commonality of Christ.  Micah and Lindsay, one of the young couples attending, were headed out to their mission field of Chile that Friday.  Upon returning to our motel Tuesday night, one of the others brainstormed that we have a time of prayer for them.  Those of us who were still awake at the late hour piled into Micah and Lindsay's motel room.  The time began with an impromptu foot washing for the couple and was followed with Scripture passages being shared as words of encouragement and blessing over them.  We then laid hands on them and prayed for them and their ministry.  When the prayers concluded though the hour was late, no one was quite ready to leave so one of the girls broke into a praise chorus, and we joined in with her.  In reflecting on that precious time, the words of another praise chorus I learned as a child came to mind:

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel the mighty power of His grace
I can hear the brush of angels wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

God's goodness was also shown in my time in Harrisburg with three of the teachers from Greater Lisbon Christian Academy.  They had been short-term the last couple of years but decided to go career and were in town for candidate training, which was finishing as training for the short-termers was beginning.  It was a blessing to have dinner with them and hear more about the school, the kids and missionaries there.  My excitement and anticipation continues to grow as the time of departure nears!

Prayer Requests:

• finishing all the sorting and packing!  (the monotonous necessity does not appeal to the sanguine side of me! :-)
  
• finalizing all the last details of moving...getting all of the last ducks in a row

Thank you again for your continued love and support!